Sunderland or Sheffield Wednesday – Cheltenham Town boss makes size claim ahead of Owls visit

The Robins play host to the Owls this weekend in what will be the first competitive meeting between the two sides, and Duff is expecting a good atmosphere at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium as Wednesday and Darren Moore come to town.

Speaking about whether their next opponents were the biggest side in League One, Duff told the media on Thursday, "Sunderland might have an argument, and Ipswich historically… But in terms of fanbase and size of the stadium, it'd be Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday.

"You could argue both are in the top 10 biggest clubs in the country. They've fallen on tough times, had a right go to get into the Premier League and ended up coming out of the Championship the wrong way, but everything is geared up for them to go back into the Championship and then Premier League.

"They could be, with their fan base, a big club in the Premier League. Darren is a very good manager and I am guessing when you play for a club that size, everyone does get up for it, supporters and opposition players, so hopefully we'll do the same on Saturday.”

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Meanwhile, when asked about Wednesday’s tough form of late, Duff admitted that it hasn’t been easy for them, saying of the Owls, "I'd imagine teams raise their game against them… They have probably drawn too many games for their liking. If they could have turned a few of those draws into wins, and they are up there anyway, but they'd be right up there.

"They are a difficult team to beat, with quality all over the pitch, there is no getting away from it. It's players who have played at a much higher level, so we know the task in hand."

Wednesday face Cheltenham on Saturday afternoon at 3pm as they look to break a run of three consecutive draws with a victory over Duff’s outfit, but their hosts will not be making it easy for them as they look for a win of their own.

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